Easing of Cuba travel restrictions met with cheers and boos in South Florida

Alexia Campbell and Ray SanchezSouth Florida Sun-Sentinel

The phones have been ringing non-stop at South Florida travel agencies that book flights from Miami to Havana since last month, when Congress eased travel restrictions to Cuba for people with relatives on the island. Many companies have doubled staff, added flights and purchased larger planes to keep up with the demand.

And that was before President Barack Obama took things a step further Monday and granted unlimited travel and remittances to the island by Cuban-Americans. Now, travel agents specializing in flights to the island expect demand to explode.

"We've been getting a lot of calls. I'm sure tomorrow we'll get even more calls," said Armando Garcia, president of Marazul Charters in Miami.

Eddie Venero, 24, has waited years for the chance to meet his relatives in Cuba for the first time, and plans to go this summer with his father.

"I'm on a mission now," said Venero, of Hollywood. "It's going to be great, this is going to reconnect a lot of people."

In Havana, Mercedes Savedra Garcia was picking up her daughter at school when she learned about the announcement in Washington.

"We expect more change to come from this," said Savedra. "Hopefully, this is only the beginning."

She said she had relatives in South Florida that she hasn't seen since 1994. Often, the relatives spend exorbitant fees on illegal couriers who deliver remittances to the island as a way of skirting the official limits.

"Most Cubans and, I think, most Americans have been in favor of these changes," she said. "Maybe the Cuban and American governments will finally start listening to the people."

The president's announcement signals a change from the hard-line policy of the previous administration, and met many of the suggestions the Cuban American National Foundation made to the administration in a 14-page report last week.

"You need two to tango, and so far the U.S. government has taken the first step," said Francisco "Pepe" Hernandez, president of the powerful exile group. "Now we have to see what the Cuban government will do."

But some Cuban exiles in South Florida agree with Fred Valdes, 60, of Hollywood, who called the move "disgusting" and "obscene" -- "a bad joke."

The Castro brothers need to make changes before Obama does, said Valdes, who left the communist island in 1961.

"They stole American industries, stole American companies and didn't pay a penny," he said. "Why should we take the first step?"

"Unilateral concessions to the dictatorship embolden it to further isolate, imprison and brutalize pro-democracy activists...and this unilateral concession provides the dictatorship with critical financial support," it said.

Alexia Campbell can be reached at apcampbell@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4513.